Armenian Adoption Adventure- Adoption Jihad

Is this destroying the culture of Moroccan children? A side note here is that Morocco is NOT a party to the Hague Convention on trafficking of children.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2011/05/want-to-adopt-a-child-convert-to-islam.html
There is a very disturbing situation going on with International Adoption in Islamic countries. In order to adopt, you must convert to Islam. This includes the most "moderate" of Muslim countries, like Morocco.
This is supremacist and outrageous.
Moroccan Adoption Guidelines
• In the country of Morocco, which is located in Northern Africa, a child can only be adopted by a married couple or a single female. Children may not be adopted by parents that are single males or who are involved in a same sex marriage.
• There is no age restriction imposed on the adoptive parents as a requirement for adoption.
• The individuals who are adopting must be employed.
• The adoptive parent or parents must be Muslim or they must be willing to convert to the Islam religion. The adoptive parents must provide proof of this conversion.
Conversion to Islam as a requirement for International Adoption in Morocco

By William Thacker

There is a strange and sad adoption program taking place in our American culture among International Adoption Agencies. Four American Adoption agencies are offering adoption services from Morocco and part of the expensive price tag includes a requirement of the Government of Morocco to convert to Islam. Yes you did read this correctly – it is a 2 for the price of 1, you get a new child and new religion for one low price of somewhere in the neighborhood of $30,000 (not including travel expenses).

Searching the Internet I found several American Adoption agencies offering adoptions in Morocco under the Kefala law of Islam. Adopt Abroad Adoption Agency was the first to claim they offered Moroccan Adoptions. A quick call to this agency and the information was vague, I was unable to find out just how many adoptions they have finalized under this bizarre adoption law. However with further research I found that on the US State Department’s website, I found that Moroccan Adoptions were growing to the USA: 2008 (12) 2009 (20) and 2010 (32) total of 64 adoptions to the USA from Morocco in 3 years: here A list of sworn translators located throughout Morocco can be obtained by contacting the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca, Morocco at ivcasablanca@state.gov. The following is a list of basic documents required for the Kefala procedure:

• Islam Conversion Document for the prospective adoptive parents

• Birth Certificate for each prospective parent

• Marriage certificate for the prospective parents (if applicable)

• Health statement from a doctor practicing in Morocco

• Work and salary statements for each prospective adoptive parent (if applicable)

• Home study completed by a licensed U.S. home study provider

• Photographs (the exact number and size required varies)

• copy of passports of each prospective adoptive parent

The other thing of Interest on the US State Department website, it indicates that Morocco has not signed a Hague Convention agreement with the USA. Which being a party to the Hague Convention a country is stating they have precautions in place to safeguard against human trafficking or selling of children/babies for referrals. But then some people only want a child they care less about conversion to Islam or being ethical. It’s hard to imagine that any self respecting American would stoop to this level just to have a child and submit to Islam. Harder yet the US State Department 2010 report on page 4 indicates http://adoption.state.gov/content/pdf/fy2010_annual_report.pdf that 43 American Children from foster care were adopted OVERSEAS with Canada (19) and the Netherlands (18) being the countries very willing and able to adopt American children. How is it that we as Americans have not provided for our children, yet we have couples willing to spend over $30,000 travel over 6,000 miles and convert to Islam to adopt? Yet couples in Canada and Netherlands are adopting American children.

Moroccan children deserve the right to stay in their country with members of their fellow ethnicity and religion, the same is true for American children retaining their American culture and roots.

Adopt Aboard Adoption Agency states that:
The Moroccan adoption program is open to married couples and single women. It is possible to adopt more than one child in a single adoption process. Morocco is flexible regarding the age of the adoption parents. Families must respect the child's religious heritage.

Hopscotch Adoption Agency states that bluntly you must submit to conversion of Islam:
Our Morocco child adoption service is a pilot program that we're very pleased to announce. In 2009, 20 U.S. Visas were issued to children of all ages—many of these issued to infants. While this is a new program to Hopscotch, we have partnered with a very experienced team in Morocco and expect that this program will be very popular. For our Morocco children and infant adopting, families must be comfortable in the knowledge that we are responding daily to the changes in process as they occur. Additionally, Married couples and single women may adopt from Morocco. The country does not permit same sex marriage, partners or single men to adopt children from Morocco. There is no age restriction on the prospective parents. The prospective parents must be employed and must be Muslim or willing to convert to Islam. All prospective applicants to this program will be required by the Moroccan government and court to submit to conversion of Islam in the presence of a court notary while in the country prior to the court proceedings. The conversion appointment is completed on your first day of arrival. We expect all applicants to take this very seriously and honor the legal codes and culture. Conversion taking place in a manner, time or place other than in Morocco in the presence of a court notary or Imam will not meet the requirements for the purposes of obtaining guardianship, also known as ‘Kafalas’.

Children’s House International Adoption Agency states it more direct:

The culture of Morocco cherishes children. Due to conditions of poverty, some children are abandoned at a young age. Your time spent in Morocco will be culturally rich and will enable you to understand better the country and background of your child’s heritage. The prospective adoptive parent/s will begin the process by taking the following steps. They will file an I 600A with the embassy in their country of residence since Morocco has not signed the Hague as of this time. You will also begin a homestudy with an approved social worker. Please contact our agency before you begin this process to be sure that your social worker is qualified. Prospective adoptive parents of Moroccan children must be Muslim. Those who are not already Muslim can convert to Islam while in Morocco. Conversion does require that you reflect on your decision and make a knowledgeable, certain, sincere and truthful declaration of faith and intent with love, affection, submission and acceptance.

Across the World Adoptions makes it sound more like a romance novel:

Salam and Peace be upon you! Across the World Adoptions (ATWA) is excited to announce its pilot program for adoptions from Morocco. Morocco, located in North Africa, is a short ferry ride from the tip of Spain. It may be best known to many Americans for the romantic invitation to “Come with me to the Casbah.” The Casbah is a walled citadel or fortress woven with alleys and souks (markets). The markets of Morocco are renowned for their splendor, variety and frequent invitations to join the proprietors in a glass of hot mint tea.

Our coordinator for Morocco is very experienced with the adoption process but families should be prepared for unexpected changes or delays in the program as it unfolds. Although we use the term adoption in this description, families should think of the process in Morocco more as a guardianship or legal custody (“Kefala”) in preparation for adoption in the United States.
After reading and researching about this new adoption trend, I was disgusted with the marketing of children and the adoption process. What has become of Americans that we adopt our children to Europeans and Canadians but would travel across the world, convert to Islam for the chance to adopt a child in a country that is not even a party to the Hague Convention? Have we just become victims of some fancy marketing or notion of exotic adventure of adopting a child from an Islamic country? Only time will tell if this latest trend in International Adoptions will pan out or just be another passing fancy done on a whim.

Armenian Adoption Adventure- Handbook for International Adoption Medicine

As the majority of the sending countries are exporting children with special needs (correctable and non-correctable) the trend will increase and move away from healthy children. This book is a valuable tool for evaluating whether a child could benefit from adoption and what medical plans to make for your child.

Laurie C. Miller

Download The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers

Amazon.com: The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers (9780195176810): Laurie C. Download Free eBook:The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers – Free chm, pdf ebooks rapidshare download, ebook. Read The Handbook of International. . Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers. Miller; 2005. The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine. Amazon.com: The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers (9780195145304): Laurie C. Download Free eBook:Oxford University Press, USA[share_ebook] The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers by. Oxford University Press, USA [share_ebook] The Handbook of. The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers Book by Laurie C. This book is an invaluable resource for. Bp The Handbook Of International Adoption Medicine A Guide For Physicians Parents And Providers By Laurie C Miller – Scholarly books, journals and articles Bp The. The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers by Laurie C. Miller M.D.: Books The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for. The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for. The Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for. in one place, making the book

Armenian Adoption Adventure-COAF members stand in front of new children's hospital

Armenian Adoption Adventure- COAF holds it's annual holiday Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhatten

December 15 6:30 PM, New York City. The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) holds its annual holiday gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. For information email info@coafkids.org or visit http://www.coafkids.org/.

PLEASE SUPPORT THE
CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND, WHICH IS ADVANCING THE EDUCATION AND ECONOMICS OF VILLAGES SO FAMILIES CAN STAY TOGETHER.

Armenian Adoption Adventure- UNICEF new representative presented her credentials to Armenian FM | Armenia News - NEWS.am

UNICEF new representative presented her credentials to Armenian FM | Armenia News - NEWS.am

Armenia celebrates, it's a BOY!!!!

http://ditord.com/2011/10/31/7-billionth-baby/
Vahram Voskanian was born 20 minutes past midnight in Artik’s Mother and Child Care Center in Northern Armenia. The Armenian office of the UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund recognized him as Armenia’s symbolic 7 billionth child.
Artik was chosen as the symbolic location, because that’s were least amount of babies are born compared to other regions of Armenia. Also, the Artik Mother and Child care center is one of the worst equipped.
The child was given a special certificate, UN promised to take care of some of his urgent needs. The UN office in Armenia also presented the hospital with an echoscope.
Little Vahram’s father – Garik Voskanian was not able to see his first-born child today, as he is a migrant worker in Moscow and the little boy was born prematurely – he’s only 7 months old. Relatives have said the father of the 7 billionth child is on his way and will hug his son soon.
Meanwhile, countries around the world marked the world’s population reaching 7 billion today holding ceremonies mark the milestone, with a series of symbolic seventh-billion babies being born.
The United Nations says that by its best estimates, the world population will reach 7 billion somewhere on October 31, but it has said it will not designate a single newborn as the seventh-billion baby.

Armenian Adoption- Former Fresnan Wins Humanitarian Award for Children's Transplant Foundation of Armenia

Way to Go Valerie (Boolootian) McCaffrey

http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/10/26/2591890/ex-fresnan-connecting-armenians.html

Roosevelt High School graduate Valerie McCaffrey has been given The Armenian American Network Humanitarian Award for her work in the World Children's Transplant Fund Armenia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of pediatric transplantation.
The award came just a few weeks after the producer/filmmaker completed shooting her latest movie, "Lost & Found in Armenia," that was filmed almost entirely in Armenia.
Both the work for the Transplant Fund and shooting the movie have given McCaffrey the opportunity to visit Armenia multiple times. McCaffrey, whose maiden name is Boolootian, turned down other jobs because she was determined to shoot a movie in Armenia as a way of bringing attention to the country and spark more interest in the arts there.
"I'm Armenian and I don't see enough Armenians in the arts," she says. "The Armenian community loves when their children grow up to be doctors or lawyers and all that stuff. I would love to see more opportunities for the Armenian community to get more involved in the media and the arts.
"They talk about the genocide but they are not doing anything to tell the story of it. That's how you communicate ideas to the masses. We are talented people so we need to use that."
Valerie McCaffrey was awarded The Armenian American Network Humanitarian Award.
McCaffrey got a first-hand look at the Armenian people while shooting the movie, which stars Jamie Kennedy and Angela Sarafyan. Most of it was filmed in remote areas of the country where no movie has ever been shot. She was impressed with the generosity the Armenian people showed.
"They had never seen anything like a film crew in their entire life," McCaffrey says. "These people, who I wish I could cast every single one of them because of their character faces, would just sit and watch us work. One villager told me that it was boring after we left."
The locals embraced cast and crew. McCaffrey was always amazed how families – who appeared to have nothing – would put out a spread of food and candy when any member of the cast or crew would visit their homes.
She loves that she got to pay respect to her heritage while creating a product she suspects will bring a lot of attention to the country.
McCaffrey – who graduated from California State University, Long Beach – understands the power of the arts. She has worked in TV and film since 1988 on projects such as "The Gong Show," "Babe," "Hard Candy," "American History X," "Dark City" and "Problem Child."
She currently is putting the finishing touches on a documentary about cancer treatment that she hopes will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival. She also is getting ready to start the feature film "Pure Life."
McCaffrey hasn't forgotten her Fresno roots. When she's not busy with a new film or humanitarian project, she tries to get back home to visit family and friends. And, she would like to film a production here.


TV and movie critic Rick Bentley can be reached at rbentley@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6355. Read his blog at fresnobeehive.com.